Speaking and Discussion
Learning Activity 7

7-1: Interesting Facts (no handout)

Below are some interesting facts that you can use for a discussion on climate change.

One tree can absorb the amount of CO2 released by an average car that's been driven for 6,400 km.

CO2 reaches every corner of the globe.

Almost half of the CO2in out atmosphere will still be h ere when your grandchildren are born.

The ten hottest years ever documented have all occured since 1990. 1998 ws the hottest year on record, followed by 2002, 2003 and 2004.

The northern polar ice cap has decreased in thickness by 40% and in extent by 6% over the past 40 years. It is expected to melt completely within 50 years.

Reductions in crop yields are anticipated for many regions, especially in later decades as temperatures rise. Recent studies have shown that for rice, the world's most significant grain crop, yields fall by 10% for each degree of warming.

The World Health Organization estimates that climate change is already responsible for an estimated 150,000 deaths per year.

A study published in Nature concluded that climate change could put 25% of all land animals and plants on a path towards extinction over the next 50 years.

With Arctic sea ice melting at a rate of up to 9% per decade, Arctic summers could be ice-free by mid-centure and polar bears might be driven to extinction within 100 years.